Firstly: Apologies for digging up old thread like this; just came, searched, found, and have thoughts to add.

Okies. I've been an Aikidoka longer than I've been a Christian. As such, reading the Bible recently, I've come across quite a few points where I've thought "That's Aikido". Most notably such things as the passage mentioned above, Luke (4:29-30), in which Jesus is taken to a cliff to to be thrown off by a mob, but he "walked right through the crowd and went on his way". I'd not seen or heard of the video mentioned above of O Sensei.. but when I read these words in the Bible, I thought "That's Aikido". Same goes for other things, including just ideas like "Love thy enemy", etc.

For me, the Holy Spirit and Ki are not synonymous... rather, my perception as it is of the Holy Spirit changes my view of Ki, in some respects. As mentioned above.. they have enough similarities for overlap, yet enough differences for distinction.

What I have mainly to offer new to this discussion: on the subject of bowing to a portrait of O Sensei (as is traditional in my own dojo, and throughout at least the three biggest associations in this country). Jesus was questioned about whether or not they, the Jews, should pay taxes to Caesar. Jesus asks them to bring him the coin they use to pay, and they bring him a denarius, and he asks whose portrait is on it, whose inscription. They answer "Caesar's". Thus he says to them "So give to God what is God's, and Caesar what is Caesar's"

Thus I say, give to God the respect that is due to him, and give to O Sensei the respect that is due to him. We know perfectly well that bowing in this context is a sign of respect, not worship. And if we do... All-knowing God certainly does, and understands perfectly.